Intermediate compounding and conversion. 45 questions on compound adjectives (before/after noun hyphenation), three-word compounds, and adjective-to-noun and adjective-to-verb conversion.
What this test covers
- Compound Adjectives and Hyphenation Rules
- Three-Word and Complex Compounds
- Adjective Conversion and Broader Zero-Derivation
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The ___ hotel offered excellent service to all of the guests.
Answer: C. five-star
When a number and a noun combine to modify another noun (hotel), they form a compound adjective. In this structure, we use a hyphen and the noun is always singular. Therefore, 'five-star' is correct. We avoid 'five-stars' because adjectives in English do not have plural forms.
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Q2The film we watched last night was ___.
Answer: C. thought-provoking
'Thought-provoking' is a established compound adjective (noun + present participle). Even when it appears after the verb, it retains its hyphen because it is a fixed, recognized term in the dictionary. 'Thought-provoked' is incorrect because it would imply the film itself felt the thoughts, rather than causing them in the viewer.
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Q3This is a ___ book in the scientific community.
Answer: A. widely read
When the first word of a modifier is an adverb ending in '-ly' (like 'widely'), standard grammar rules state that we do not use a hyphen to connect it to the participle. Therefore, 'widely read' is the correct form. 'Widely-readed' is also incorrect because 'read' is an irregular past participle.
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Q4The committee is planning a ___ campaign to raise awareness.
Answer: C. nationwide
'Nationwide' is a closed compound adjective, meaning it has become so common that it is now written as a single word without spaces or hyphens. While you might occasionally see 'nation-wide' in older texts, 'nationwide' is the standard modern preference.
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Q5___ have been hit hardest by the recent economic downturn.
Answer: B. The unemployed
We use 'the' + adjective to refer to a collective group of people (nominalisation). 'The unemployed' functions as a plural noun meaning 'unemployed people.' Because it is plural by nature, we do not add an '-s' to the adjective. The plural verb 'have' is a context clue that we need a plural subject.
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Q6We need to ___ the room before the guests arrive.
Answer: B. empty
This sentence requires a verb after the infinitive marker 'to.' Through a process called 'conversion,' the adjective 'empty' can also function as a verb meaning 'to remove the contents of something.' 'Emptiness' is a noun, and 'emptyed' is a misspelling of the past tense 'emptied.'
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Q7Please ensure your report is ___.
Answer: A. up to date
In a position after the verb — after a linking verb such as 'is' — compound adjectives like 'up to date' are conventionally written as separate words without a hyphen. The hyphenated form 'up-to-date' is reserved for the position before a noun, directly before a noun (e.g., 'an up-to-date report'). 'Upto-date' and 'up-to-date-' are not valid spellings.
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Q8Which of the following is the correct version of this sentence: 'The elderly is often neglected in society'?
Answer: B. The elderly are often neglected in society.
'The elderly' is an adjective used as a noun used to refer to older people as a group. Like 'the poor' or 'the rich,' it always takes a plural verb. Therefore, 'The elderly are' is the only correct choice. 'The elderlys' is incorrect because adjectives in English do not have plural forms.
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Q9It was a ___ meeting that lasted for several hours.
Answer: B. three-hour
In a compound adjective (one that comes before a noun), we use a hyphen and keep the noun singular. Here, 'three-hour' modifies 'meeting.' We only use the plural 'hours' when the phrase is not acting as a modifier, such as in 'The meeting lasted three hours.'
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Q10You should ___ the volume before you start the presentation.
Answer: D. lower
The adjective 'low' can be converted or derived into the verb 'lower,' which means 'to reduce.' We need the base form of the verb here to follow the modal 'should.' 'Lowen' is not a valid English word, and 'lowingly' is not an appropriate adverb for this context.
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Q11The conversation was ___.
Answer: B. face to face
In a position after the verb — after the linking verb 'was' — 'face to face' is conventionally written as separate words without a hyphen. The hyphenated form 'face-to-face' is used in the position before a noun, directly before a noun (e.g., 'a face-to-face meeting'). 'Face-to-face-' and 'facetoface' are not valid spellings.
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Q12She is a ___ student who studies every day.
Answer: C. hard-working
When a compound adjective like 'hard-working' (adverb + present participle) appears before the noun it modifies ('student'), it requires a hyphen. 'Hard-work' is a noun phrase and does not function as an adjective here.
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Q13___ often struggle to find affordable housing in this city.
Answer: D. The poor
'The poor' is a collective plural noun referring to people living in poverty. It must be preceded by 'the' and followed by a plural verb ('struggle'). Adjectives used as nouns never take an '-s,' so 'the poors' is incorrect.
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Q14The building was newly ___ by the local architect.
Answer: C. newly constructed
Modifiers starting with an adverb ending in '-ly' (like 'newly') are never hyphenated when they modify a following participle or adjective. Thus, 'newly constructed' is correct. 'Construction' is a noun and does not fit the passive voice structure 'was + past participle.'
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Q15The transition process was ___.
Answer: A. step-by-step
While 'step by step' can be an adverbial phrase without hyphens, when it functions as an adjective describing a noun (even after a verb like 'was'), the hyphenated form 'step-by-step' is preferred to show it is a single unit of meaning.
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Q16We live in a ___ flat.
Answer: B. two-bedroom
In the compound adjective 'two-bedroom,' the hyphen connects the number and the noun, and the noun ('bedroom') must remain singular because it is part of an adjective modifying 'flat.' English adjectives do not take plural forms like '-s.'
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Q17The player is ___.
Answer: C. left-handed
'Left-handed' is a compound adjective describing a physical characteristic. Such established compounds (adjective + noun-ed) usually keep their hyphens even in a position after the verb (after the verb 'is'). 'Left-hand' is generally used as a noun or a simple attributive adjective.
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Q18The scientific fact is ___.
Answer: A. widely known
There are two rules here: first, we use the adverb 'widely' to modify the participle 'known'; second, we do not hyphenate adverbs ending in '-ly.' Therefore, 'widely known' is the correct form. 'Wide-known' is incorrect because 'wide' is functioning as an adverb and needs the '-ly' suffix.
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Q19The ship was moving ___.
Answer: C. clockwise
The suffix '-wise' is used to form adverbs indicating direction or manner. 'Clockwise' is a closed compound adverb, meaning it is written as one word without spaces or hyphens. 'Clockwised' is not a valid word.
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Q20The teacher asked the students to ___ their voices.
Answer: C. quiet
Through conversion, the adjective 'quiet' can function as a verb meaning 'to make quiet.' We need a base-form verb after 'to.' While 'quieten' is a common verb in British English, the option 'quieten-down' is incorrect because phrasal verbs are not hyphenated in this way.
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Q21___ are demanding better protection from the government.
Answer: A. The accused
'The accused' is an adjective used as a noun (the past participle functioning as a noun) referring to a person or group of people charged with a crime. The verb 'are' indicates that it is being used here as a collective plural. We do not add an '-s' to adjectives used as nouns.
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Q22We had a ___ discussion about the project.
Answer: A. one-to-one
When used as an adjective before a noun ('discussion'), the phrase 'one-to-one' requires hyphens to show that the three words act together as a single modifier. Without hyphens, the relationship between the words is unclear.
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Q23He is a ___ businessman.
Answer: D. self-employed
Compound adjectives beginning with the prefix 'self-' (like 'self-employed,' 'self-centered,' or 'self-aware') almost always require a hyphen. Here, 'self-employed' modifies the noun 'businessman.'
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Q24The children are ___.
Answer: C. well-behaved
'Well-behaved' is a fixed compound adjective (adverb + past participle). Because it is a established phrase, it retains its hyphen even when it appears after the verb. 'Well-behaving' is not the standard idiomatic form used to describe children's character.
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Q25___ deserve our respect for their contributions to society.
Answer: B. The homeless
'The homeless' functions as a collective plural noun meaning 'homeless people.' We use 'the' + adjective for this purpose and never add '-s.' 'Homelessness' is an abstract noun for the condition itself, which would require a singular verb ('deserves').
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Q26We had a ___ check on the equipment.
Answer: A. day-to-day
When 'day-to-day' is used as an adjective before a noun ('check'), it is hyphenated. This indicates that the entire phrase is one single descriptor. 'Day to day' without hyphens usually functions as an adverbial phrase (e.g., 'We survive day to day').
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Q27The work was ___.
Answer: C. day-to-day
Even after the linking verb 'was,' the hyphenated form 'day-to-day' is needed because it functions here as an adjective describing the nature of 'the work' (i.e., routine, ongoing). Without hyphens, 'day to day' reads as an adverbial phrase (as in 'We take things day to day'), which cannot serve as the complement of 'was.'
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Q28The house is ___.
Answer: A. newly painted
As a rule, adverbs ending in '-ly' (like 'newly') are never hyphenated when they modify a following word. Thus, 'newly painted' is the correct form. 'New-painted' is incorrect because 'newly' is the adverbial form required to modify the participle 'painted.'
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Q29The company has a ___ presence.
Answer: C. worldwide
'Worldwide' is a closed compound adjective. In modern English, it is written as a single word without hyphens or spaces. It is used here to modify the noun 'presence.'
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Q30She is an ___ person.
Answer: C. open-minded
'Open-minded' is a compound adjective consisting of an adjective and a participle. When it appears before the noun ('person'), it must be hyphenated. 'Open-mind' is a noun phrase and cannot be used as an adjective.
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Q31The film is ___.
Answer: C. long-lasting
'Long-lasting' is a established compound adjective. It usually retains its hyphen even when it appears after the verb 'is.' 'Long-last' is not a standard adjective form.
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Q32The instructions are ___.
Answer: C. clear and concise
Hyphens are used to link words into a single adjective before a noun. However, when the adjectives appear after the verb and are joined by a conjunction like 'and,' no hyphens are needed. 'Clear and concise' is a standard phrase of two separate adjectives.
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Q33Could you ___ the soup?
Answer: A. cool
The adjective 'cool' can be converted into a verb meaning 'to become or make less hot.' We need a verb to follow the modal 'Could.' 'Coolen' is not a real English word, and 'coolly' is an adverb meaning 'in a calm or unfriendly way.'
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Q34___ are often ignored in the media.
Answer: C. The blind
'The blind' is used as a collective plural noun to refer to people who cannot see. Like other adjectives used as nouns, it does not take an '-s.' 'The blinds' typically refers to window coverings. 'Blindly' is an adverb and cannot serve as the subject of this sentence.
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Q35It is a ___ machine.
Answer: D. custom-built
This is a compound adjective made of a noun and a past participle. When used before a noun ('machine'), it requires a hyphen. We use 'built' (the past participle) because the machine has already been constructed. 'Custom-builded' is incorrect because 'build' is an irregular verb.
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Q36The room is ___.
Answer: B. air-conditioned
'Air-conditioned' is a permanent compound adjective. Because it is a specific, well-established term, it keeps its hyphen even when it appears in a position after the verb (after the verb 'is').
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Q37It is an ___ report.
Answer: A. up-to-date
In the position before a noun (before the noun 'report'), the multi-word compound 'up-to-date' must be hyphenated to clearly show it functions as a single modifier.
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Q38The ___ designed logo looks professional.
Answer: B. professionally designed
Adverbs ending in '-ly' (like 'professionally') are not hyphenated when they modify another word, even if they appear before a noun. 'Professional-designed' is incorrect because we need the adverbial form 'professionally' to modify the participle 'designed.'
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Q39The project is currently ___.
Answer: C. underway
'Underway' is a closed compound adjective meaning 'in progress.' It is always written as a single word without spaces or hyphens. The other options are either misspelled or incorrectly formatted.
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Q40You need to ___ the pace.
Answer: B. slow
The adjective 'slow' can be converted into a verb meaning 'to reduce speed.' It is often used alone as a verb, or in the phrasal verb 'slow down.' In this sentence, we need the base verb form 'slow' to follow the infinitive marker 'to.'
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Q41We need a ___ plan.
Answer: A. long-term
When 'long-term' is used as an adjective before the noun 'plan,' it requires a hyphen. Note that the noun within the compound ('term') remains singular. 'Longterms' and 'long-terms' are grammatically incorrect as adjectives.
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Q42The job is ___.
Answer: C. part-time
'Part-time' is a established compound adjective. It is standardly hyphenated in all positions (both before a noun and after a verb). 'Parttimer' is a noun referring to a person who works limited hours, not an adjective to describe the job.
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Q43___ are protesting for better conditions.
Answer: B. The rich
'The rich' is an adjective used as a noun referring to wealthy people as a group. It is treated as a plural noun and takes a plural verb ('are'). We do not add '-s' to the adjective, so 'the richs' is incorrect.
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Q44The soldiers fought in ___ combat.
Answer: C. hand-to-hand
While 'face-to-face' is a valid compound adjective, 'hand-to-hand' is the standard, idiomatic term specifically used for close-range combat. Because it modifies the noun 'combat' and comes before it, we use hyphens to link the three words.
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Q45The government decided to ___ all the prisoners.
Answer: A. free
The word 'free' can function as both an adjective and a verb (conversion). In this sentence, we need the verb form 'free' (meaning to release) to follow the infinitive marker 'to.' 'Freely' is an adverb and 'freen' is not an English word.
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